The Rundown: Sept. 10

Posted:

September 10, 2018

12:13 am

The Bruins had one more player named to national team rosters and another receive recognition.

UCLA women’s soccer junior midfielder Jessie Fleming was named a 2017 Canadian U-20 Player of the Year in Ottawa, Canada this past week. She has won the award for three consecutive years.

Fleming has long featured for the Canadian national team with 53 appearances and 41 starts. She has recorded 6 goals and two assists since debuting at the age of 15 and was nominated for the 2017 Canadian Women’s National Team Player of the Year Award.

Fleming started on the Canada team that won bronze at the 2016 Summer Olympics and played at the 2015 Women’s World Cup and the Pan American Games.

UCLA men’s soccer freshman midfielder Frankie Amaya was recalled to the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team after making his debut with the team earlier this year.

Amaya scored his first U-20 goal against U-20 France and played against U-21 Atlético Madrid during his first tour with the national team. The U-20 squad is set to face the U.S. U-19 Men’s National Team and Venezuela.

The U.S. U-20s have the 2018 CONCACAF Men’s U-20 Championship in November, which will qualify four teams for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.

BaseballGabriel McCarthy, assistant Sports editor

Another Bruin was called up to play in the Show.

Former UCLA infielder Kevin Kramer made his MLB debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates last week after he appeared as a pinch hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals.

He became the 79th Bruin and the 18th UCLA player coached by John Savage to reach the MLB. Kramer’s contract was selected by the Pirates on Tuesday at the conclusion of the AAA season.

Kramer posted a .311 batting average, .492 in slugging and an on-base percentage of .365 with the AAA Indianapolis Indians en-route to being named the team’s rookie of the year. He led the club with 15 home runs, 35 doubles and 59 RBIs.

The infielder was a second-round selection at 62nd overall in the 2015 MLB draft. Kramer was the starting third baseman in the 2013 UCLA squad that won the 2013 College World Series.

Kramer recorded career bests as a redshirt junior with a .323 batting average and 7 home runs. He finished his time at UCLA with a .297 batting average, 184 hits, 89 RBIs and 114 runs scored.

Kramer’s call-up means that from every UCLA team from 1965 to 2015, a former Bruin has made it to the MLB.

FootballSam Connon, assistant Sports editor

The NFL season kicked off this weekend, and several Bruins made headlines.

Of the 32 UCLA football alumni currently playing in the pros, tight end Marcedes Lewis is the longest tenured of all of them. The 13-year veteran made his debut for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night after spending 12 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Lewis’ former teammate in Jacksonville, linebacker Myles Jack, was also a Bruin in his college days. After splitting time as a running back and linebacker under former coach Jim Mora, Jack was drafted in the second round in 2016 and became a full-time starter halfway through his rookie year.

Jack picked off the New York Giants’ Eli Manning on Sunday afternoon and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. The linebacker also recorded 10 tackles and one pass deflection.

Linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks were teammates at UCLA, and both were picked by the Minnesota Vikings in back-to-back drafts. The two both started Sunday afternoon against the San Francisco 49ers, combining for six tackles and two pass deflections while holding the 49ers to 16 points.

Special teams specialist Matthew Slater returned to the New England Patriots this offseason and he helped his squad beat the Houston Texans 27-20 on Sunday. In his first 10 seasons in the league, Slater has been named a Pro Bowler seven times.

Atlanta Falcons outside Takkarist McKinley played in the NFL season opener Thursday night against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The 2017 first-round pick recorded a sack, but he left the game with a left knee injury and his status for the Falcons’ week two matchup with the Carolina Panthers is unclear.

A fresh crop of Bruins made it to the NFL this year, headlined by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen. After being selected 10th overall in the NFL Draft, the signal caller was inactive for the last two games of the preseason after injuring his finger in practice.

Rosen was active Sunday, but Sam Bradford got the start. Bradford finished with 153 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

Wide receiver Jordan Lasley – who was drafted in the fifth round in April – was inactive for the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Scott Quessenberry was named the third-string center for the Los Angeles Chargers, while first-round pick Kolton Miller got the start at left tackle for the Oakland Raiders.

McCarthy is an assistant Sports editor for the men's tennis, women's soccer, track and field and men's volleyball beats. He was previously a reporter on the men's volleyball and men's water polo beats. McCarthy is a second-year English and history student from Atlanta, Georgia. He is an avid Tottenham Hotspur and Conor McGregor fan.

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